Bio: Briggs, Carl W. (1881)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Briggs, Maloy, Kershaw, Guppy, Meredith, Palmer, Powers

----Source: History of Northern Wis. (Wood County, Wis.) 1881, page 1204

CARL W. BRIGGS, Grand Rapids, was born in Benson, Rutland Co., Vt., April 21, 1846. Harvey Briggs, his father, a lawyer by profession, moved to Lewiston, Wis., in 1855, and three years after removed to Marquette County. Here his father was soon after elected County Judge and moved to Packwaukee, remaining there until the close of 1860, when he moved to Briggsville, where he still resides. In 1860, Carl W. commenced attending school at the Baraboo Collegiate Institute.

In 1861, Gen. Maloy raised a company consisting largely of students at Baraboo. Although too young to be allowed to enlist with his schoolmates, young Briggs left school, and in the following December enlisted under Capt. Kershaw in Co. K of the 18th Wis., and served with the regiment until the Fall of 1863, climbing from corporal to sergeant meanwhile. On his arrival home he accepted the position of assistant general agent of the State Insurance Company, of Lansing, Mich. In 1864 he raised a company in thirteen days’ time, and joined the 44th Wis., as captain of Co. F, being but eighteen years of age - the youngest captain in the State. This regiment reached Nashville, Tenn., in time to participate in the battle at Nashville. Capt. B. took charge of the picket lines at Nashville for some time, and in February, 1865, went to Paducah as acting assistant inspector general of the post, under detail order, first of Gen. Guppy, then of Gen. Meredith, and then of Gen. Palmer. During all this time he was also president of the Council of Administration of the Post. He remained there until the close of the war, and Oct. 2, 1865, was mustered out of service.

In December, 1865, he took the general agency of the Michigan Central Insurance Company of Kalamazoo, Mich. In the Fall of 1866 he helped organize the Merchants & Farmers National Insurance Company of Michigan, and acted as secretary of that company for about two years, then quit insurance and commenced reading law; was admitted to the Bar in 1872; practiced in Marquette County until he came to Grand Rapids and formed a co-partnership with L. P. Powers. They were general solicitors of the Wis. Valley Railroad until its purchase by the St. Paul Company, since which time they have been retained by that company.